Truman Bartlett Douglass Papers

An inventory of
his papers
at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator:

Douglass, Truman Bartlett.

Title:

Truman Bartlett Douglass Papers

Dates:

1930-1969

Quantity:

14 linear ft.

Abstract:

Papers of the American Congregational clergyman (1901-1969) concerned with
urban ministry, civil rights, and Christian unity. Collection includes correspondence;
sermons; records of the Board of Home
Missions of the Congregational and Christian churches, later the United Church
Board for Homeland Ministries (1936-1969), and
the Consultation on Church Union (1962-1969); memorabilia, including awards, clippings,
photographs, and the Douglass-Bartlett
family genealogy; and writings.

Biographical History

Truman Bartlett Douglass (1901-1969) was an American Congregational clergyman, particularly
active in urban ministry, civil
rights, and Christian unity. He attended Pomona College, Columbia University,
and Union Theological Seminary, and was
instrumental in the merger forming the United Church of Christ in 1957.

Sermons date from the 1930s to the 1960s; roughly 75 percent were written during the first
decade of Douglass' ministry. Earlier sermons are enclosed in envelopes with
the title, date and parish, while later sermons are on 4x6" file cards organized
by subject.

Church records relate to Douglass' work in urban ministry, civil rights, and church unity
during his tenure as Executive Vice-President of the Board of Home Missions of
the Congregational and Christian Churches,
later called the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries. Also included are
papers relating to a Child Development
Group in Mississippi (CDGM), of which Douglass was chair of the Executive Committee.
This material includes two handwritten
signed letters from Hubert Humphrey.

Memorabilia contains clippings, photographs, speaking itineraries, and the contents of a
binder of personal, biographical and travel papers. There are also sermons and
manuscripts of Douglass' father, Truman
Orville Douglass, Jr.; an autobiography of Emery Sargent Bartlett, Douglass' maternal
grandfather; and a brief genealogy
of the Bartlett and Douglass families.

Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is arranged as received.
Sermons are arranged either chronologically (earlier ones) or by subject (later
ones), as received.
Church records are arranged alphabetically by the organization to which they pertain,
and within that roughly chronologically.
Memorabilia is arranged alphabetically by the name of the person to whom it pertains.
Writings are subdivided by type and then arranged alphabetically by title.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require
advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance
concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and
all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from
any
materials in this collection.